You can now force Google to automatically delete your data after a set period of time. This should save you from having to delete said data manually. Initially, Google’s auto-delete controls are available for your Location History and Web & App Activity.
How to Auto-Delete Your Google Data
In a post on The Keyword, Google explains how and why it’s introducing auto-delete controls for your data. The company explains that it collects data in order to “make Google products more useful for you”. And there is some truth to this.
Of course, you don’t have to give Google your data. If you’re happy using the company’s products on an ad hoc basis you can stop Google from saving your data. But what if you appreciate some level of personalization but don’t want Google to store that data forever?
Until now, the only option you had was to manually delete your data. Once a week, once a month, or whatever. Now, with the new auto-delete controls, you can have Google delete your data after three months or 18 months without you having to lift a finger.
All you need to do is log in to your Google account and tap Manage Your Google Account. Then tap Data & Personalization and find Activity Controls. Tap Manage Your Activity Controls and then Manage Activity.
The new auto-delete controls are available for Web & App Activity and Location History. So, when you tap Manage Activity under these two headings you can Choose to Delete Automatically. You can then choose how long Google will retain your data.
Be Aware of How Your Data Is Being Used
Everyone should be more aware of how the data they generate while online is being used. These auto-delete controls—which is Google trying to bridge the gap between personalization and privacy—suggest the company is taking people’s concerns seriously.
Even if you’re not concerned about how companies such as Google are using your data, there’s always a chance that data will escape into the wider world. So, with that in mind, here are some simple ways to protect your data before the hackers succeed.
If you’ve been looking for a safe, free VPN to use on your Android device then you’re in luck. Opera recently added a free VPN service to their web browser for Android.
Here’s how to use Opera’s free VPN so you can browse the internet safely and privately.
What’s the Problem With Free VPNs?
In general, you should be suspicious of free VPN services. As tempting as it may be to save some cash, these services often make money in dubious ways.
Some free VPN services have usage caps, so you can use them for a little bit but then they’ll charge you money if you go over a set limit. This is annoying but not unethical. The really worrying free VPNs are the ones which claim to keep you safe but actually misuse your data.
For example, Hola used to be a popular free browser extension which let you access content from other regions. But a few years ago, it came out that the service was actually acting as a botnet.
The company was selling off access to its users’ devices to all sorts of disreputable companies. Users found their devices were being used in cyber attacks like Direct Denial of Service attacks without them even being aware of it.
Another example of a dodgy free VPN service was Facebook’s Onavo app. The app was promoted as a secure VPN, but it actually funneled all of its users’ data to Facebook. Facebook could see exactly which websites users visited and which apps they used.
With all that said, there is now an option for a safe and free VPN for Android. Opera is a well-established web browser that has experimented with free VPN services in the past. The latest version of their Android app which can you download from the Google Play Store, includes a free VPN.
Unlike other free VPNs which are offered by third party companies who want to sell your data to make money, Opera’s VPN is a way of promoting the browser. Their aim is to use the VPN service to attract users, not to make money from it directly.
The features of the Opera VPN are basic, but cover all of the essentials. It offers no web traffic logging, no bandwidth cap or usage limits, and strong 256-bit encryption. You can also use the VPN for region spoofing, although this function is pretty bare bones.
How to Install and Use Opera for Android
Using Opera’s VPN service is very easy. First you need to download the Opera browser beta for Android from the Play Store. If you don’t like the idea of installing beta software on your device then you can wait until version 51 of the browser is released which will include the VPN feature.
Once it’s installed, open up Opera and you can use it just like any other browser. But first, we’ll turn on the VPN service.
To do this, click on the red O in the bottom right corner to bring up the Opera menu. Then select Settings. In the settings menu you’ll see a toggle for VPN. Make sure this toggle is set to Enabled.
By default, the VPN is only active when you browse in private mode. But we want to have it active all the time for the best security, so long press on the VPN option to bring up the VPN menu. Here you’ll see a checkbox for Use VPN for private tabs only. Make sure this checkbox is unchecked.
Now the VPN is active whenever you use the browser. If you visit a webpage, you’ll see a blue square saying VPN in the top left, next to the address bar. If you want to adjust the VPN settings at any time or to turn it off, tap the blue square.
This brings up a menu where you can see how much data you have transferred over the last 30 days and options to turn the VPN off or go to the VPN settings.
Using Opera VPN for Region Spoofing
Another handy feature of a VPN is that you can use it for region spoofing. This is where your browser makes it appear as if you are based in a different location from your real-world location.
For example, you can make it appear as if you are in the US when you’re actually in Europe. This is helpful if you need to access a site which is only available in the US.
If you go to the VPN settings menu and then tap on Virtuallocation, you can choose from Optimal, America, Asia, or Europe. Just tap on America and your browser will access websites as if you were in the US.
If you want to confirm that the VPN is working, you can visit a site like whatsmyip.comwhich will show you your public IP and say which country you appear to be browsing from.
Potential Drawbacks of Opera VPN on Android
There are some potential drawbacks to Opera’s VPN that you should be aware of. Firstly, although the VPN does cover all the basic requirements, it does lack extra features like country-specific region spoofing, choosing which server you want to connect to, and a kill switch.
Secondly, Opera Limited, the company that develops the Opera browser, is based in Norway. However, this company is owned by a number of Chinese companies. Some people raise the issue of the Chinese government’s oversight of Chinese companies, and they worry that this could affect the VPN’s privacy in the future.
Finally, according to Opera’s privacy statement, the VPN does not log any information about your browsing activities or your real IP address. This is good, as no logging is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN provider. But the browser does assign users a random ID and collects information about your device and your use of features under this ID.
This information can’t be linked to you personally but it is collected by the company.
Opera’s Free VPN Can Keep Your Data Safe
If you need a VPN and you don’t want to spend any money, Opera’s free VPN service is a great solution.
It isn’t as full-featured as other VPNs, and if you are really serious about your security then you may want to look into the best paid VPN services instead, such as ExpressVPN. But using Opera’s browser with VPN enabled will improve your security for no charge, and that makes it a winner in our book.
The Best VPN ServicesThe Best VPN ServicesWe've compiled a list of what we consider to be the best Virtual Private Network (VPN) service providers, grouped by premium, free, and torrent-friendly.READ MORE
Explore more about: Opera Browser, VPN. Source: www.makeuseof.com
WhatsApp is one of the hottest social networking apps around thanks to features like free video calls and the ability to delete messages. However, even if you use WhatsApp regularly, you might have missed some of its best features.
In this article we take a look at some awesome WhatsApp features. And while some users may regard these as essential WhatsApp features, other users may discover previously unknown tricks they can add to their arsenal.
1. Tweak Your WhatsApp Privacy Settings
You don’t always want everyone to know when you’re online, or whether you had a chance to see their last message. Sometimes you want a bit of time to think before you have these conversations.
You might also have good reason to make sure that only certain people see your profile picture. In fact, it’s pretty unlikely that you’d want anyone but your friends to see your profile picture at all.
Head to Settings > Account > Privacy and you can tweak all of your WhatsApp privacy settings. By default everyone—not just your contacts—can see your last seen time, status message, and profile picture, which might be sharing a little too much.
It’s strange that an app that decided to have great encryption decided also to have overly public default privacy settings. It’s up to you to make WhatsApp more secure and private.
Note: This is also where you’re able to turn off read receipts if you wish. However, if you do this you won’t be able to see other people’s read receipts.
2. Back Up Your WhatsApp Messages
If you never want to lose a single WhatsApp message ever again, you need to back up your chat history. To do this, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and tap on Back Up Now.
If you’re on iOS, the backup goes straight to your iCloud account. On an Android device, it goes to your Google Drive account. Of course, you’ll need to be logged into the relevant cloud storage account first.
It’s best to put your backups on autopilot and forget about them. That’s where the Auto Backup option comes in handy. It lets you back up your chats on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. (You can specify if you want to include videos in the backup.) Now, if you accidentally delete WhatsApp messages, you still have some hope of recovering them.
If you want to share specific chats via email, Slack, or some other service, you’ll need to export them first using the Export Chat option. You’ll find this in the Contact Info section (Group Info section for groups) which shows the contact’s name, phone number, status message, etc.
The exported chat appears as a ZIP file that you can share with others. During export, you can specify whether the file should include attached media.
4. Change the WhatsApp Wallpaper
Chatting on WhatsApp doesn’t have to be a bland experience, as it’s really easy to change the background. Head to Settings > Chats > Chat Wallpaper and you can grab a new background from the in-built wallpaper library. You can also choose a solid color or one of your own photos as the wallpaper.
Want the original WhatsApp wallpaper back? All you have to do is tap on Reset Wallpaper.
5. See Exactly When WhatsApp Messages Were Read
If you’re keen to check whether your friend knows about your party or not, you can easily see if they’ve read the messages you sent or not. Just view the conversation and look for the blue ticks to know whether your latest message has been read (if they have read receipts turned on).
Need more information? Long-press on the relevant message and tap on Info to see exactly when that message was delivered and when it was read.
Keep in mind that you’ll see a couple of gray ticks if your friend hasn’t read the message and a single gray tick if it hasn’t been delivered yet.
6. Check Your WhatsApp Data Use
No one likes excessive data charges, so it’s worth being able to check how much data WhatsApp is using. To do this, go to Settings > Data and Storage Usage > Network Usageand you can get the full details of all your data consumption.
If you want to keep your data usage down, tweak the media auto-download and call settings under Settings > Data and Storage Usage. Here, you can restrict automated media downloads to Wi-Fi connections or turn them off completely to save on mobile data. Opting for a lower voice call quality also helps keep data usage down.
7. Use WhatsApp on a Desktop
As long as your WhatsApp-enabled smartphone has an active internet connection, you can use WhatsApp on your PC.
To get started, head to web.whatsapp.com on your computer. Next, open WhatsApp on your phone and visit Settings > WhatsApp Web/Desktop. Now point your phone at your computer screen to scan the QR code displayed there. Your chats should then show up instantly.
You can also use this method to access WhatsApp on a tablet, but you’ll need to request the desktop version of the WhatsApp Web site first. It’s a pity that this method doesn’t seem to work for everyone; I have had no trouble with it.
8. Transfer Your WhatsApp Account to a New Number
Changing to a new mobile number doesn’t mean the end of your WhatsApp account—it’s possible to transfer it to the new number. Head to Settings > Account > Change Numberto start the process. You’ll need to enter both the old and new numbers to migrate the data properly.
9. Delete Your WhatsApp Account
If for some reason you want to delete your WhatsApp account altogether, head to Settings > Account > Delete My Account to get started. You can always start a new account later if you change your mind, but your chat history from the current account will be gone forever. The cloud backups of your messages also vanish. Plus, you’ll disappear from groups and the contact lists of your friends.
Keep in mind that any conversations you have been a part of are still visible to your contacts since those conversations are also a part of their chat history.
More Hidden WhatsApp Tips and Tricks to Start Using
WhatsApp is here to stay, more privacy-focused WhatsApp alternativesnotwithstanding. It has many features and settings that aren’t obvious at first glance. Now that you know about these awesome WhatsApp features, you should try a few hidden WhatsApp tricks next.
So you forgot your Facebook login and password and can’t log into Facebook anymore? Or was your Facebook account hacked, meaning you can’t access it anymore?
If so, you are not alone. Fortunately, Facebook offers several automated ways to recover your account. Whether you forgot your Facebook password or can no longer log in because a hacker changed it, you have several options. In this article we’ll show you how to recover your Facebook account, step-by-step.
Note: This article covers everything we know about Facebook account recovery. Read the article, read the comments, and if you still have questions, feel free to ask it in the comment. Unfortunately, we can’t offer one-on-one support and we also don’t have a direct line to Facebook.
1. Are You Still Logged In Somewhere?
Before you try to recover your account, check whether you are still logged into Facebook on any of your devices. This could be another browser or browser profile on your computer, your Facebook Android or iOS app, or a mobile browser, for example on your tablet.
If you can still access Facebook anywhere, you might be able to “recover” your Facebook password without a confirmation reset code; though what you’ll actually do is create a new password. Proceed to step 1a of our article on what to do when your Facebook account gets hacked, where we explain how to change your Facebook password. At this point, also consider setting up two-factor authentication on Facebook.
Note: If you set up two-factor authentication and have lost access to your Code Generator, here’s how you can regain your Facebook login.
2. Have You Tried Default Account Recovery Options?
OK, so you could not find a device where you were still logged into Facebook. Let’s proceed with the recovery then. If possible, use a network or computer from which you’ve logged into your Facebook account before.
First, you need to identify your account. Head to the Facebook recover page and use an email address or phone number you previously added to your Facebook account. Even if it doesn’t say so, you can also use your Facebook username.
Once you successfully managed to identify your account, you will see a summary of your profile. Before you proceed, carefully check whether this really is your account and whether you still have access to the email address(es) listed.
Should you No longer have access to these? proceed to point 3 of this article.
If all looks well with the contact details that Facebook has on file for you, however, click Continue. Facebook will send you a security code.
Retrieve the code from your email, enter it, and rejoice in having recovered your Facebook account.
At this point, you can set a new password, which we strongly recommend.
If the code never arrives, click Didn’t get a code?, which will take you back to the previous screen. You can try again or maybe you’ll realize that you don’t have access to the account after all.
Back Into Your Facebook Account
If you managed to regain access to your account and if you suspect that your Facebook account was hacked, immediately change your password and update your contact information. These are key steps in securing your Facebook account. Be sure to remove any email addresses or phone numbers that are not your own or that you can no longer access.
Often, it’s not possible to recover a Facebook account using the options above. Maybe you have lost access to the email address(es) and phone number(s) you once added to your profile. Or maybe a hacker changed this information. In that case, Facebook allows you to specify a new email address or phone number, which they will use to contact you about recovering your account.
To start this process, click the link No longer have access to these? in the bottom left on the reset password page (see above) to start the Facebook account recovery process. Facebook will ask you for a new email address or phone number, so that they can get in touch with you to help you recover your account. Click Continue to proceed.
If you have set up Trusted Contacts, you can ask them to help you recover your Facebook account in the next step. You’ll need to remember at least one full name of your three to five Trusted Contacts to reveal all of them. Note that you only need three codes to recover your Facebook account.
If you didn’t set up Trusted Contacts, you might be given the option to answer one of your security questions and reset your password on the spot. As an additional precaution, this comes with a 24 hour waiting period before you can access your account.
Otherwise, you might have to wait until Facebook gets in touch to verify your identity. Be patient.
This will actually start a similar process to the one outlined above. While you will use the same information to identify your account, in the following step you will be able to use either a current or an old Facebook password to recover your account.
This is useful in case a hacker changed your password, but it may also come in handy in case you forgot your new password.
Find more security-related tips on the Account Security page in the Facebook Help Center.
If all of the Facebook account recovery methods above failed, your last hope is Facebook support itself. You can try emailing security@facebookmail.com to explain your situation. They might give you a chance to prove your identity using your passport or driver’s license. You can try to attach a scan of your ID in your first email, but keep in mind that email isn’t necessarily secure. Either way, hearing back from Facebook can take several weeks, so you’ll need to be patient.
Note: If you didn’t use your real name on Facebook, your hopes for recovering your account this way are close to zero.
If All Else Fails, Create a New Facebook Profile
Over the past few years, we have received countless comments and messages from people who weren’t able to recover Facebook their accounts. Usually, their contact information was outdated, the recovery codes Facebook provided didn’t work, or the company would never reach out to verify their identity. Unfortunately, we couldn’t help either.
If you do discover another way to contact Facebook or recover your Facebook account, please share it in the comments below.
At some point, you just have to move on. As much as it hurts, learn from your mistakes, create a new account, be sure to add several valid contact details, secure your Facebook account, and rebuild your profile.
